


Welcome Signs

by tehta



Category: Nimona (Webcomic)
Genre: M/M, post-ending fix-it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-20
Updated: 2014-12-20
Packaged: 2018-03-02 09:46:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2808035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tehta/pseuds/tehta
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A few weeks after the end of the comic, Nimona has a job and Ballister has a question.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Welcome Signs

**Author's Note:**

  * For [azurish](https://archiveofourown.org/users/azurish/gifts).



Nimona stomped towards the couch and threw herself down across it, prompting a satisfyingly loud protest from the springs--followed by a far less satisfying clang as something metallic hit the floor. She glanced up at the wall: yes, the “ER" had fallen off again, leaving behind only "Welcome HOME Ball*I*St".

Seriously! If she had known how much trouble that one little sign was going to be, she would never have taken it from the hospital. Oh well, she'd just have to nail it on properly. Maybe a pneumatic drill would help; she could borrow one from work.

"So, how was your day?"

The question came from Ballist(er), who had appeared in the kitchen doorway, looking worried and annoyed. In other words, reassuringly normal, at last: he’d been looking worried and sad for so many weeks that Nimona had considered starting to worry herself. 

"I had fun," she told him before changing from Beefy Construction Guy into the shape he liked best, the girl with the pink hair. "I can't believe demolition is actual WORK that people do as A JOB."  


Ballister frowned. Well, frowned harder. "It’s not that common a job, not usually. Only when there are unsafe, half-collapsed buildings around."

Ensuring that there were always plenty of such buildings around seemed easy enough, but Nimona could predict exactly how Ballister would respond to a comment to that effect. She understood him so well.

"Shouldn't you be more encouraging, Boss?" she asked instead. "I just expressed an interest in a proper career. Like a responsible adult."

"Yes, well done," said Ballister absently before sitting down on the arm of the couch. "Nimona, I need to talk to you about something."

That sounded serious; Nimona sat right up. "It was broken when I found it! Well, almost."

"What?" Ballister stared at her. “What was broken?”

"The blinky machine with the lights. It was already--"

"Ah. The gene splicer. I had wondered… But never mind; Meredith's is much more precise, anyway. No, this is about Am-- About Sir Goldenloin."

But that was even worse. As far as damage was concerned, Goldenloin’s was far less deniable that the blinky splicer's: the teeth marks alone would have been a dead giveaway, even if Ballister had not witnessed the whole incident.

"Goldenloin?” Nimona asked warily. “I thought he was getting better?"

"He was... He is. Actually, he should be ready to leave the hospital soon, and..." Ballister studied the floor, and the fallen ER sign, as if both were extremely interesting. "I want you to know that the final decision is entirely up to you. This is your home too, after all. But I was hoping... I was thinking about inviting him to stay, for a while. His old place-- Well, you know exactly what happened to the Institution's barracks."

"I do." Very unsafe buildings; an exceptionally fun demolition job. "And yes, he clearly can’t live there, but he can't move in here either, Boss! He knows me, remember?"

"Yes, he certainly does. Actually, we have talked a lot about you, and--"

"You told him about me?" Nimona's fists clenched of their own accord; her arms wanted to be beefy again. She struggled to repress the transformation, reminding herself that Ballister surely meant her no harm, even if he sometimes-- "Does he know I am here?"

“Of course not!" Ballister turned to face her. "We just discussed you, in general. Your… life experiences. Actually, you two have a lot in common. I am sure that--"

"The main thing we have in common is that we tried to kill each other. And I won," said Nimona with some satisfaction, "even though you helped him cheat. I hope he realizes that, if he ever tries anything again, I will--"

"No!" Ballister's expression was back to sad and worried. "Nimona, please, don't talk that way. And please, don’t think about harming Ambrosius. Not even in play. He might be getting better, but he is still quite weak, and--"

"Fine." Nimona sat back and crossed her arms. "Relax, your precious Ambrosius is quite safe. I promise to leave him alone. But excuse me for not realizing that your nemesis is suddenly your BOYFRIEND."

Ballister froze for a moment. Then, he looked down at the floor again. "Ah, no,” he said tightly. “We have not actually discussed that. At all."

It was Nimona’s turn to stare, at Ballister himself, and at his flustered expression. Wow! She had definitely not seen THAT coming--he was so OLD--but now that she was considering the idea... She found she did not feel all that surprised.

Besides, Goldenloin wasn’t the worst option in the world, if Ballister felt lonely or something. For one, he already knew about her, so there wouldn't be any need for long, boring explanations. Also, he did not seem to be the type to scream for no reason when someone changed shape in front of him. And then…

And then, he had objected, down in the Institution’s torture lab. He alone, out of all the people there; out of all the people in all the labs in her past. Nimona had been quite... distracted at the time, but her memories were clear enough.

Of course, he had done it only to help Ballister, but that was worth something in itself: it suggested that he might feel much as she did about the people now campaigning to throw "that villainous Blackheart" in prison. Ballister would not let her murder those jerks, not even a little. But maybe Goldenloin could help her change his mind?

Nimona made up hers.

"Fine," she said graciously. "He can stay here. But I am not making him a welcome sign."

Ballister looked up. “Er, good. Because, actually, I wanted to suggest that--"

“His name is just too long,” Nimona explained. “Even longer than yours, and there I got lucky with a lot of the parts. Like when I found that helpfully-labeled public ballroom. In Goldenloin's case, I am not sure what... Although, yes, OK, the word “Golden” does show up quite a lot, on pub signs and things. But otherwise--”

Suddenly she remembered it, quite vividly: the shop she passed every morning, on her way to work, and the handwritten notice in its main window. Such neat, cursive calligraphy. 

“Oh, fine then!” She leapt up, off the couch. “Pity you are a vegeterian, boss.”  
“What? Why?”

“I was thinking I could pick up some meat for dinner while I am out. Although I could swing by the cheese store too, I suppose.”

On that thoughtful note, she raced out of the room, morphing into her Beefy Guy shape without breaking her stride. 

It was a bit corny, really, turning beefy to go to the butcher's. But never mind: that “loin of pork” sign should work perfectly.

**Author's Note:**

> 0\. I was not sure I would have the time to do regular Yuletide, so I decided to try my hand at some treats. Anyway, I have long wanted to write something in a Nimona POV (scary for me, because we hardly know her) that describes her post-ending feelings. Your letter stood out to me because I, too, see both Ambrosius and Nimona as very protective of Ballister, and I believe that would have to be the key to any happy ending involving all three.  
> 1\. I can interpret the ending in several ways, but my strongest interpretation is that Nimona is going back to Ballister's lair to prepare it for his arrival (with the welcome sign described above, pizza, etc.) Mostly because I think she wants to be around him, and she does what she wants--and if it's not the best thing for the kingdom at large, why would she care?  
> 2.As for Ballister being vegetarian: the author mentioned it at some point as a possible consequence of Nimona's cooking, and I think it makes a lot of sense.


End file.
